The exemplary embodiment relates to fields of image processing. It finds particular application in connection with the provision of feedback on optically captured images, and is described with particular reference thereto. However, a more general application can be appreciated with regards to image classification, image content analysis, image archiving, image database management and searching, and so forth.
Photographers are now using digital image capture devices, such as cameras, cell phones, and optical scanners, to capture images in digital format. The captured images are often sent to photofinishing services or content-sharing communities. Regardless of the final medium in which the images will be managed, shared and visualized, the quality expectations of users are growing. Many amateurs and professionals, for example, share their best pictures through photo sharing sites.
Digital photography allows shooting many pictures and viewing them immediately, but does not necessarily improve photographic skills. Acquisition conditions, user expertise, compression algorithms and sensor quality can seriously degrade the final image quality. In particular, the amateur photographer does not necessarily appreciate that changes in shooting techniques could avoid similar image degradations in the future and allow for better enhancement thereafter. Perceiving the quality of a digital image is in general a difficult exercise for non-expert users. In particular, it is not easy to spot specific degradations (e.g., low contrast vs. low saturation, incorrect white balance, and the like) or to understand how these degradations could have been avoided at the time the photo was taken. Additionally, amateur photographers may not understand how image composition can affect visual appeal.